Comparative Pharmacology
Head-to-head clinical analysis: FINASTERIDE AND TADALAFIL versus REVATIO.
Peer-Reviewed Evidence
Head-to-head clinical analysis: FINASTERIDE AND TADALAFIL versus REVATIO.
FINASTERIDE AND TADALAFIL vs REVATIO
Comparing the clinical profiles, pharmacokinetic behaviors, and safety indices of these two therapeutic agents.
Finasteride is a 5α-reductase inhibitor that inhibits conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT). Tadalafil is a phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE5) inhibitor that enhances nitric oxide-mediated vasodilation by increasing cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) in smooth muscle.
REVATIO (sildenafil) is a phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitor. By inhibiting PDE5, it increases cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) levels in pulmonary vascular smooth muscle, leading to vasodilation and reduced pulmonary vascular resistance.
One capsule containing finasteride 5 mg and tadalafil 5 mg orally once daily.
20 mg orally three times daily, administered 4-6 hours apart.
None Documented
None Documented
Finasteride: 6-8 hours (elderly ~8 hours); Tadalafil: 17.5 hours (enables once-daily dosing).
Terminal elimination half-life ~4 hours (range 3-5 hours) in steady state; similar in pulmonary arterial hypertension patients.
Finasteride: 57% feces, 39% urine (metabolites); Tadalafil: 36% urine, 61% feces (mostly metabolites).
Primarily hepatic metabolism (CYP3A4) to N-desmethyl sildenafil (active). Renal excretion accounts for ~80% as metabolites; ~13% fecal.
Category A/B
Category C
PDE5 Inhibitor
PDE5 Inhibitor